34.1 GroupWise Check

GroupWise Check (GWCheck) is a tool provided for GroupWise to check and repair GroupWise user, message, library, and resource databases without using ConsoleOne. In addition to checking post office, user, and library databases, it also checks users’ remote, caching, and archive databases.

The GWCheck utility runs on Windows, Linux, and Macintosh. You should match the platform of GWCheck to the platform where the databases are located. Windows GWCheck processes databases on NetWare and Windows. Linux GWCheck processes databases on Linux. Macintosh GWCheck processes databases on Macintosh.

IMPORTANT:GWCheck should not be used to process databases that are located across a connection between different platforms (for example, between NetWare or Windows and Linux).

34.1.1 GWCheck Functionality

The post office database (wphost.db) is checked for the file ID (FID) of the selected user.

The guardian database (ngwguard.db) is checked to find out if this user database has been created.

The file system for this post office is checked to see if the user database (userxxx.db) for this user exists.

After GWCheck makes the database comparisons, it begins processing according to the databases selected and any inconsistencies found.

Case 1 - Missing Entry in the Post Office Database (wphost.db)

In this example, a contents check is run either against all users on the post office or against one user, “ABC.” GWCheck does not find the FID of one or more users.

Table 34-2 Missing Entry in Wphost.db

WPHOST.DB

NGWGUARD.DB

FILE SYSTEM

?

userabc.db

userabc.db

No entry for this user is found in the post office database (wphost.db).

An entry is found in the guardian database (ngwguard.db), indicating that the user has been deleted.

Also, a user database (userxxx.db) for this user is found in the ofuser directory.

GWCheck removes the entry from ngwguard.db, deletes userabc.db and systematically deletes all of the user’s messages from the message databases that are not still being referenced by other users. If the user has been deleted, GWCheck cleans up after that user.

Case 2 - Missing Entry in the Guardian Database (ngwguard.db)

In this example, a GWCheck is run either against all users on the post office or against one user, “ABC.” A user’s FID is found and the user’s database is found in the post office, but the user is missing in ngwguard.db.

The guardian database (ngwguard.db) shows no user database for this user.

A user database (userxxx.db) for the user does exist in the ofuser directory.

GWCheck creates the user in ngwguard.db, using database userabc.db. Even if ngwguard.db is damaged, it is unlikely that data is lost.

Case 3 - Missing User Database (userxxx.db)

In this example, a GWCheck is run either against all users on the post office or against one user, “ABC.” The user’s FID is found, as well as the user’s record in ngwguard.db. However, the user’s database is not found.

34.1.2 Using GWCheck on Windows

You can use GWCheck on any Windows XP/Vista/7 workstation or Windows 2003/2008 server.

As an administrator, you can run GWCheck for databases in any post office accessible from the workstation where GWCheck is installed. The GWCheck program performs all database maintenance itself, rather than handing off a task to the POA as ConsoleOne would do to perform database maintenance.

Depending on how GWCheck is installed, users can have a Repair Mailbox item on the GroupWise Windows client Tools menu that enables them to run GWCheck from the client. If the GWCheck program is available to users, users can perform database maintenance on their Remote, Caching, and archive mailboxes, which are not accessible from ConsoleOne.

For the Repair Mailbox item to display on the GroupWise Windows client Tools menu, the following files must be installed in the GroupWise software directory; by default, this is c:\Program Files\Novell\GroupWise.

gwcheck.exe

gwchkxx.dll (Replace xx with your language code)

gwchkxx.chm (Replace xx with your language code)

The GroupWise administrator can install these files by using SetupIP to install the GroupWise Windows client, and selecting to install and enable GWCheck. The default for SetupIP is to install GWCheck, but not enable GWCheck. The files are then copied to the \novell\groupwise\gwcheck directory. For additional information about SetupIP and GWCheck, see [GWCheck].

If the client was installed using the GroupWise Windows client Setup program or the defaults are chosen for SetupIP, the client user needs to copy the files from the GWCheck directory (\novell\groupwise\gwcheck) to the main GroupWise directory (\novell\groupwise).

To run GWCheck:

From the Start menu, click Run, then browse to and double-click gwcheck.exe.

34.1.3 Using GWCheck on Linux

Using GUI GWCheck (gwcheck)

You can use GUI GWCheck on any Linux workstation where you can run the Linux/Mac client. By default, GWCheck is installed with the client when using the GroupWise installation program. If you installed the GroupWise Linux/Mac client manually from the RPM, you must install GWCheck manually.

Change to the directory where the GWCheck RPM is located or copy it to a convenient location on your workstation.

The GWCheck RPM (groupwise-gwcheck-version-mmdd.i386.rpm) is located in the /client and /admin directories in your GroupWise software distribution directory if it is has been updated, or on the GroupWise 8 DVD or downloaded GroupWise 8 software image if an updated software distribution directory is not available.

Using Text-Based GWCheck (gwcheckt)

You can use text-based GWCheck in any environment where the X Window System is not available, such as on a text-only server where a post office and its POA are located. However, you must use GUI GWCheck to create an options file before you can run text-based GWCheck.

34.1.5 Performing Mailbox/Library Maintenance Using GWCheck

With only a few differences in interface functionality, as described in the online help, you can perform the same maintenance activities in GWCheck as you can in Mailbox/Library Maintenance in ConsoleOne:

Databases

Depending on the object type and action already selected in the main window, some database types might be unavailable. If all the database types are unavailable, then one or more database types have been preselected for you.

You can perform an action on the following databases when the type is not unavailable:

Results

To select users to receive the results of the Mailbox/Library Maintenance check, click Results.

Figure 34-3 Results Tab in the Mailbox/Library Maintenance Dialog Box

Select Administrator to send the results to the user defined as the GroupWise domain administrator. Select Individual Users to send each user the results that pertain to him or her. Click Message to include a message with the results file.

Misc

If you need to run a Mailbox/Library Maintenance check with special options provided by Novell Support, click Misc.

Figure 34-4 Misc. Tab in the Mailbox/Library Maintenance Dialog Box

Use the Support Options field to specify command line parameters. Support options are typically obtained from Novell Support representatives when you need assistance resolving specific database problems. Search the Novell Support Knowledgebase for TIDs and Support Pack Readmes that list support options. Make sure that you clearly understand what the Support options do before you use them.

Exclude

If you want to exclude certain users in the selected post office from having the Mailbox/Library Maintenance check performed on their databases, click Exclude.

Figure 34-5 Exclude Tab in the Mailbox/Library Maintenance Dialog Box

Click Add, select one or more users to exclude, then click OK.

Reusing Library/Mailbox Maintenance Settings

For convenience, you can store the options you select in Mailbox/Library Maintenance and GWCheck so that you can retrieve them for later use.

Saving Mailbox/Library Maintenance Options

After you have selected all of the options in the Mailbox/Library Maintenance dialog box, click Save.

Browse to the directory where you want to save the options file if you do not want to use the default of wptools in the domain to which you’re currently connected.

Specify a filename if you do not want to use the default of gwcheck.opt.

Click Save.

The GWCheck options file is created in XML format on all platforms. Therefore, you can create the GWCheck options file on any platform and use it on any platform interchangeably.

Retrieving Mailbox/Library Maintenance Options

In the Mailbox/Library Maintenance dialog box, click Retrieve.

Browse to and select your saved option file.

Click Open.

34.1.6 Executing GWCheck from a Windows Batch File

The GWCheck program is located in the \admin\utilities\gwcheck directory in your GroupWise software distribution directory if it has been updated, or on the GroupWise 8 DVD or downloaded GroupWise 8 software image if an updated software distribution directory is not available. It might also be installed along with the GroupWise client software in the gwcheck subdirectory of the client installation directory.

Use the following syntax to create a batch file to execute GWCheck:

gwcheck /opt options_file /batch

If you want to include the path to an archive database, use the /pa switch.

34.1.7 Executing GWCheck from a Linux Script

The GWCheck program is located in the /admin directory in your GroupWise software distribution directory if it has been updated, or on the GroupWise 8 DVD or downloaded GroupWise 8 software image if an updated software distribution directory is not available.

For example, to specify that you want GWCheck to run in Spanish, you would use:

Linux:

./gwcheck --opt gwcheck.opt --lang es

Windows:

gwcheck /opt-gwcheck.opt /lang es

/opt

Specifies a database maintenance options file created in a GWCheck session. This starts GWCheck with the same options settings as the session in which the options file was created. The default location of the options file varies by platform:

Linux:

User’s home directory

Windows:

Directory where gwcheck.exe is installed.

If the options file is not in the default directory, you must specify the full pathname.